Phonograph.



J. H. DICKINSON. PHONOGRAPH.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL 28. I916.

Patend Jan. 8,1918.

JOSEPH HUNTER DICKINSON, OIE CRANFORD, NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN COMIANY, A CORPORATION OF'CONNECIICUI.

PHONOGRPI.

Pattented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed March 28, 1918. Serial No. 87,231.

T0 (121 w7wm z't may concemz:

Be i-t known that I, JOSEPH HUN'IER DICK- INSON, a Citizen of the United States, residing at Cranford, in the county of Union and State of NeW Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in phonographs and particularly to an improved expression device therefor the features and advantages of which Will be apparent to those skilled in the art from an understanding of the following description in connection With the dravvings.

In the latter, Figure 1 is a partialvertical sectional viewthrough a phorxpgraph tone arm and horn equipped Wlth ah expression .device embodying my present improvement;' Figs. 2, 3 and 5 show the valve of'the expression device telescoped to increasing extents into the throat; Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 except that the parts are shown-in elevation instead of vertical section; and Fig. 6 is a top plan view looking down upon the throat and valve, 3 portion of thethroat being shown eut away. v

I will now describe the specific devices of the drawingszl is the tone-a1m of the phonograph, swiveling on the sleeve 2 secured to the neck of the horn 3 by the screws 4. The phonograph is supposed, of course,

to have the other well-known operative parts belonging thereto, such as a reproducer on the tone-afin etc. The expression device comprises a throat 5 and a plug valve 6 adapted to telescope therewith. Both throat and valve are preferably majde of soft rut ber. The throat should be'expansible and c0ntractible under the telescopmg action of the valve therewith. The valve need not be made of any such material but may be madeofhard or rigid m'aterial. The throat preferablv bas a basal flange 7 adapted to be clamped between the sleeve 2 and the horn 3 With the throat extending into the neck of said horn, The Wall of the throat preferably tapers in thickness to a thin edge or lip 8 et the mouth of the throat, which edge or lip should alsobe irregular as indicated in F1gs. 1 and 4:, as distinguished from being truc and even; orthe lip might be notched as indicated by the dotted lines 12 in Fig. 4, said notches to occur et intervals around the throat.

The active face of the plug valve is conveir and said valve is mounted on a stem which is adapted to. be reciprocatedby the operator to vary the volume of tone delivered by the tonearm' to the hem. Th'us .the plug valve can be draWn wholly away from the mouth of the throat which is its loudest playing position; or may be forced up into a position as in Fig. 5 orsomewhet beyond,. Which is its softest playing posit1on, or may be caused to occupy any intermediate position to produce a correspondingly intermediate effect.

When in, operating the valve in closing direction, it reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein it just closes the mouth of the throat, there would be a tendency for a noticeably abrupt falling ofi' in the tone to occur, were it not for my prescnt' improvements. One of these I have already described as residing in the irregularly edged lip to the throat. This prevents an abrupt closure and consequent abrupt falling off in the tone because the first contact between the valve and the throat is merely at spaced apart points around the mouth, and through these spaces the tone still con tinues to pass in diminished volume.

As additional means to this same end I provide recesses 10 in the surface of the valve adapted to be gradually closed by the walls of the throat (compare Figs. 2, 3 and 5) in telescoping of the valve into the throat and vice versa to be increasingly opened as the valve is withdrawn. Because these receSses, extend below the mouth of the throa when the valve is just touching xsaid mmith,tliey permit the tone to pass in ioperlyfliminished quantity, instead of ein noticeably or abruptly ont down as 'it w0ul be without said recesses. It is further to be noted that the recesses become shallower and narrower as they extend toward the montrolling said passage,

musical affects obtainable from the manipulation of the valve.

What I daim is 2-- 1. In combination, a sound-passage, and a telescoping plug valve and tln0at controlling said passage, the first contact between said valve and th1oat being only partial with intermediate spaces.

2. In combination, a sonnd-passage, and a telescoping plug valve and throat controlling said passage, the first contact between said valve and throat' being enl v partial with intemnediate spaces such that the are gradually closed as the valve and t roat are telescoped on each other.

3. In cmnbinafion, a seund-passage, and a telescoping valve and an elastic throat the first contact between said valve and.throat being on an irregular edge.

4. In combination, a seund-passage, and a telsc0png plug valve and an elastc throat eontrolling said passage, the surface of said valve being recessed to permit the sound to pass when the valve is just contacting With the 1nouth 0f the throat.

In combinatiun, a sound-passage, and a telescoping plug valve and an elastic throat controlling said passage, the surface of said valve being recessed tu permit the sonnd to pass when tlie valve is just contacting with the lnouth 0f rl1e throat and to continue le pass (0 a diminishing extent as the valve is telescuped into the throat and to be closed by the sides ef said throat When the valve is fully telescoped t-herein.

In testimony Whereof, I have signed n1y name to this specification this 27th day 01: March, 1916.

JOSEPH HUNTER DICKINSON. 

